Building construction wrapped with reinforcement fabric to resist wind loading

ABSTRACT

A building construction has a foundation, walls and a roof structure, the walls being wrapped by a reinforcement fabric, with the reinforcement fabric being connected to the foundation and the roof structure to tie the roof structure to the foundation for increased resistance to natural disasters. The connection of the reinforcement fabric to the roof structure includes a top rail having a connector plate attached to the roof structure and having an upwardly oriented opening, and a wrapping member about which the reinforcement fabric can be wrapped, the wrapping member having a geometry corresponding with the geometry of the upwardly oriented opening in such a manner that the wrapping member is prevented from rotating in the opening.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.13/050,879 filed Mar. 17, 2011 which claims the benefit of U.S.application No. 61/315,219 filed Mar. 18, 2010, the entire content ofeach of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to building structures having increased strengthto resist the forces of high wind events including hurricanes andtornadoes, as well as the forces from earthquake and blast loadings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Residential buildings and other similar buildings are often comprised ofa foundation, a plurality of vertically oriented walls, and a roofstructure. A very common wood frame construction method uses wood orsteel for studs and other framing members. The framing members arecovered with plywood, Oriented Strand Board (OSB), sheathing panels orstucco sheathing to form the building walls. The framing/sheathingcombination forms shear walls and horizontal diaphragms which resisthorizontal and vertical loads applied to the structure. This form ofconstruction is used in the majority of single family homes in theUnited States, as well as a significant portion of multi-family,commercial and industrial facilities. Roof structures commonly consistof joists, rafters and trusses covered by plywood, OSB or othersheathing applied as a roof deck.

Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes, canresult in the loss of the roof sheathing under the force of hurricane ortornado winds, and earthquake stresses, and consequent increasedlikelihood of collapse of the building. Loss of the roof deck orsheathing resulting from such forces weakens the roof structure and canlead to roof failures. The water damage resulting from a loss of roofsheathing or roof failures has been a major contributor to economiclosses from hurricanes and other natural disasters.

One approach to providing a building structure that is more resistant tohigh winds and other natural disasters is the use of tie strips that areconnected from the roof, down the wall, and anchored to the buildingfoundation. Such tie strips apply a tensile strength that significantlyresists the separation of the roof from the remainder of the building.Such tie strips, in the form of elongated metal straps populated withnail holes for fastening, are available from Simpson StrongTie®,Pleasanton, Calif.

Another system available to tie the roof structure to the foundation ofa building is the use of structural fabric connected to both the roofand the building foundation. Such a product is disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 5,870,861 to Gnaedinger which is hereby incorporated by reference,in its entirety.

It would be advantageous if improvements could be made to the use ofstructural fabrics that are used to reinforce buildings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a structural reinforcement apparatuscomprising; flexible elongated reinforcement material having first andsecond ends, a first connecting member associated with the first end ofthe flexible reinforcement material, a second connecting memberassociated with the second end of the flexible reinforcement material,first means for engaging the first connecting member, and second meansfor engaging the second connecting member, wherein the connectingmembers and engaging means are configured, dimensioned and operativelyassociated to provide tension to flexible elongated reinforcingmaterial, and wherein the first and second connecting members associatedwith edge portions of the flexible elongated reinforcement material andthe first and second engaging means each comprises a connector housingthat includes a slot for receiving the respective connecting member.Furthermore, either one or both of the slots of the first or secondholding members can be a U-shaped slot.

The invention may further comprise a means for securing one or moreroofing members to either the first or second connector housing, andwherein either the first or second connector housing comprises anattachment plate for securing the engaging means to a frame structure,and a means for securing one or more roofing members to the first orsecond connector housing, wherein the means for securing one or moreroofing members to the first or second connector housing comprises ahorizontal flange extending approximately perpendicularly from theconnector housing and has access holes along the length of the flange;and a roof member tie-down. Furthermore, the spacing between the accessholes in the horizontal flange are configured and dimensioned to accepta roof member tie-down, and suitably spaced to provide an access holelocated on each side of a roof member. The horizontal flange can be ahollow boss with the hollow opening configured and dimensioned toreceive an elongated clip having access holes with the same spacing asthe horizontal flange access holes and a slot configured and dimensionedto grip a tension rod and thereby secure roof members to the first orsecond connector housing.

The means for securing one or more roofing members to the first orsecond connector housing may comprise an upper vertical flange extendingapproximately parallel from the upper portion of the connector housingattachment plate having one or more openings configured and dimensionedto accept a roof member tie-down. The roof member tie-down may compriseone or more tension rods and a saddle connector, wherein the roof membertie-down secures a roof member to the connector housing horizontalflange in a manner that resists upward movement of the roof rafter, anda tension rod having a swivel portion is inserted through an opening ina strap portion on either side of the saddle connector and locked in anaccess hole in the connector housing flange and elongated clip.

The means for securing one or more roofing members to the first orsecond connector housing comprises a T-slot extending along the lengthof the upper portion of either connector housing; and a roof membertie-down, which comprises, a securing block, a T-slot coupling, which isconfigured and dimensioned to fit within the connector housing T-slot,extending from the back face of the securing block, a zip-tie extendingfrom an edge of the securing block, and a zip-tie ratchet casepositioned along an edge of the securing block opposite the zip tie,wherein the roof member tie-down is coupled to the connector housing bythe T-slot coupling and the zip tie can be looped over a roof member andsecured in the receiving case.

The invention may further comprise a first or second connector housingconfigured and dimensioned to hold a wrapped batten, wherein either thefirst or second connector housing further comprises a downwardlyoriented slot formed by the attachment plate portion and a front face,and configured and dimensioned to receive the batten housing, and aretainer clip extending partially into the downwardly oriented slotopening from the front face opposite the attachment plate portion thatprevents the batten housing from being withdrawn from the slot once ithas been inserted.

The first connector housing can be a rectangular bar configured anddimensioned to be usable as a top plate and the second connector housingis a rectangular bar configured and dimensioned to be usable as a sillplate.

The invention also relates to a frame structure having at least aroofing member and one or more wall members erected upon a foundation,the structure comprising; the structural reinforcement apparatusesdescribed above for providing a continuous tensile load path between theroofing member and the structure's foundation, wherein the flexiblereinforcement material is attached to the first and second connectingmembers along a first and second edge respectively, the first means forengaging the first connecting member is mechanically affixed to thefoundation of the frame structure, the first connecting member isoperatively associated with first engaging means, the second means forengaging the second connecting member is mechanically affixed to anupper portion of a wall member, the second connecting member isconnectively associated with the second engaging means, the roofingmember is secured to the second engaging means with a roof membertie-down; and the second means for engaging the second connecting memberis operatively associated with the first means for engaging the firstconnecting member by the flexible reinforcement material attached to thefirst and second connecting members to form a continuous tensile loadpath from the roof member to the structure's foundation.

The flexible reinforcement material can be a high strength material thatalso imparts resistance to seismic events, explosive blasts, andprojectiles fired from small arms weapons.

The invention also relates to a frame structure having at least aroofing member and one or more wall members erected upon a foundation,the structure comprising, a structural reinforcement apparatus asdescribed above for providing a continuous tensile load path between theroofing member and the structure's foundation, wherein, the first meansfor engaging the first connecting member is mechanically affixed to theto an upper portion of a wall member, wherein the first means is a firstconnector housing, the second means for engaging the second connectingmember is mechanically affixed to the foundation of the frame structure,wherein the second means is a second connector housing, the flexiblereinforcement material is attached to the first and second connectingmembers along a first and second edge respectively, the first connectingmember is operatively associated with first engaging means, the secondconnecting member is operatively associated with the second engagingmeans, the roofing member is secured to the second engaging means with aroof member tie-down to form a continuous tensile load path from theroof member to the structure's foundation; and the first engaging meansis operatively associated with the second engaging means by the flexiblereinforcement material attached to the first and second connectingmembers to form a continuous tensile load path from upper portion of thewall member to the structure's foundation.

The roof member tie-down may include tension rods, which are insertedinto the access holes in the second engaging means, which can be aconnector housing, and wherein the saddle connector can comprise twowebs, each tapering to a tension rod.

The invention also relates to a frame structure having at least aroofing member and one or more wall members erected upon a foundation,the structure comprising; a structural reinforcement apparatus, forproviding a continuous tensile load path between the roofing member andthe structure's foundation, wherein, the first connector housing is usedas a top plate forming a wall member, the second connector housing isused as a sill plate forming the same wall member as the first connectorhousing, the first connecting member is received by the first connectorhousing, the second connecting member is received by the secondconnector housing, and the second connector housing is therebyoperatively associated with the first connector housing by the flexiblereinforcement material attached to the first and second connectingmembers to form a continuous tensile load path from the roof member tothe structure's foundation.

The invention also relates to a method of securing a the frame structureto the foundation which supports it, which comprises; affixing the firstconnector housing to the foundation of the frame structure, wherein thefirst connector housing is affixed to the foundation of the framestructure with anchor bolts, affixing the second connector housing tothe upper portion of a wall member above the first connector housing,wrapping the first edge portion of the flexible reinforcement materialaround the second connecting member, connectively associating the secondconnecting member with the second connector housing, draping theflexible reinforcement material over the wall member down to the firstconnector housing, connectively associating the first connecting memberwith the second edge of the flexible reinforcement material and with thefirst connector housing, wherein at least a portion of the second edgeof the flexible reinforcement material is constrained between the firstconnecting member and first connector housing such that connectivelyassociating the first connecting member and first connector housingapplies a tension to the flexible reinforcement material, connectivelyassociating a roofing member tie-down with the second connector housing;and securing the roof member to the second connector housing with theroofing member tie-down, such that the first connector housing isoperatively associated with the second connector housing by the flexiblereinforcement material attached to the first and second connectingmembers, and the second connector housing is operatively associated withthe roof member to form a single continuous tensile load path from theroof member to the structure's foundation.

The flexible reinforcement material can be wrapped around the secondconnecting member, the second connecting member is connectivelyassociated with the second connector housing by inserting the wrappedsecond connecting member into a slot in the connector housing, and theroofing member tie-down is one or more roof strap(s) connectivelyassociated with the second connector housing and securing each of one ormore roof member(s) to the second connector housing by looping the strapover the roof member and securing both ends to the second connectorhousing.

The invention also relates to a method of securing a the frame structureto the foundation which supports it, which comprises; affixing the firstconnector housing to the upper portion of a wall member of the framestructure, affixing the second connector housing to the foundation belowthe first connector housing, wrapping the first edge portion of theflexible reinforcement material around the first connecting member,connectively associating the first connecting member with the firstconnector housing, draping the flexible reinforcement material over thewall member down to the second connector housing, connectivelyassociating the second connecting member with the second edge of theflexible reinforcement material and with the first connector housing,wherein at least a portion of the second edge of the flexiblereinforcement material is constrained between the second connectingmember and second connector housing such that connectively associatingthe second connecting member and second connector housing applies atension to the flexible reinforcement material, connectively associatinga roofing member tie-down with the second connector housing to therebysecure the roof member to the second connector housing with the roofingmember tie-down, such that the first connector housing is operativelyassociated with the second connector housing by the flexiblereinforcement material attached to the first and second connectingmembers to form a first continuous tensile load path, and the secondconnector housing is operatively associated with the roof member to forma second separate continuous tensile load path from the roof member tothe structure's foundation.

The invention also relates to a method of making a structuralreinforcement apparatus kit, which comprises; providing a first and asecond connector housing, wherein the first and second connectorhousings are different, providing a first and a second connectingmember, wherein the first and second connecting members are different,providing a flexible reinforcement material sheet having a top and abottom edge that is pre-cut to a predetermined length, and attaching atleast a first edge of the flexible sheeting to either the first orsecond connecting member; and providing one or more roof membertie-down(s) that can be connectively associated with either the first orsecond connector housing.

Furthermore, according to this invention there is also provided abuilding construction having a foundation, walls and a roof structure,the walls being wrapped by a reinforcement fabric. The reinforcementfabric is connected to the foundation and the roof structure to tie theroof structure to the foundation for increased resistance to naturaldisasters. The connection of the reinforcement fabric to the roofstructure includes a top rail having a connector plate attached to theroof structure and having an upwardly oriented opening. A wrappingmember, about which the reinforcement fabric can be wrapped, has ageometry corresponding with the geometry of the upwardly orientedopening in such a manner that the wrapping member is prevented fromrotating in the opening.

According to this invention there is also provided a buildingconstruction having a foundation, walls and a roof structure, the wallsbeing wrapped by a reinforcement fabric, with the reinforcement fabricbeing connected to the foundation and the roof structure to tie the roofstructure to the foundation for increased resistance to naturaldisasters. The connection of the reinforcement fabric to the roofstructure includes a connector plate that can be attached to the roofstructure and having a downwardly oriented slot defined by a verticalweb and an inwardly projecting retainer flange. A housing is comprisedof top and bottom edges and a front face, the housing being configuredto fit into the downwardly oriented slot. There is also provided abatten that can be wrapped with the reinforcement fabric and placed inthe housing to connect the reinforcement fabric to the roof structure.

According to this invention there is also provided a buildingconstruction having a foundation, walls and a roof structure, the wallsbeing wrapped by a reinforcement fabric, with the reinforcement fabricbeing connected to the foundation and the roof structure to tie the roofstructure to the foundation for increased resistance to naturaldisasters. The connection of the reinforcement fabric to the roofstructure includes a top rail having a connector plate attached to thefoundation and having a downwardly oriented opening. There is alsoprovided a wrapping member about which the reinforcement fabric can bewrapped, the wrapping member having a geometry corresponding with thegeometry of the downwardly oriented opening in such a manner that thewrapping member is prevented from rotating in the opening.

According to this invention there is also provided a buildingconstruction having a foundation, walls and a roof structure, the wallsbeing wrapped by a reinforcement fabric, with the reinforcement fabricbeing connected to the foundation and the roof structure to tie the roofstructure to the foundation for increased resistance to naturaldisasters. The connection of the reinforcement fabric to the roofstructure includes a top rail having a connector plate that is attachedto the reinforcement fabric, and further includes a reinforcement linkthat connects the connector plate to the roof structure.

According to this invention there is also provided a connector between abuilding reinforcement fabric and a building roof structure, theconnector including a rail having a connector plate that can be attachedto the reinforcement fabric, and further including a reinforcement linkthat connects the connector plate to the roof structure.

According to this invention there is also provided a buildingconstruction having a foundation, walls and a roof structure, the wallsbeing wrapped by a reinforcement fabric, with the reinforcement fabricbeing connected to the foundation and the roof structure to tie the roofstructure to the foundation for increased resistance to naturaldisasters. The connection of the reinforcement fabric to the roofstructure includes a top rail having a connector plate that is attachedto the reinforcement fabric, and the top rail further has an elongatedclip with clip openings and a slot configured to receive and securetension rods connected to the roof structure, thereby connecting thefabric to the roof structure.

Various advantages of this invention will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art from the following detailed description of thepreferred embodiment, when read in light of the accompanying drawings.

Additional related embodiments are disclosed in co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/726,116 (Publication No. US 2010/0236158), whichwas filed on Mar. 17, 2010, the entire contents of which is expresslyincorporated herein by reference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention, which are alsoillustrative of the best mode contemplated by the applicants, ispresented in the drawings and detailed description that follows herein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic, perspective view of a building, the buildingbeing cutaway for illustrative purposes.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view in elevation of a wall of thebuilding, showing portions of the roof structure and foundation.

FIG. 3 is a schematic exploded view in perspective of the lower railused to connect the reinforcement fabric to the foundation.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the assembled lower rail.

FIG. 4A is a schematic view of the assembled lower rail.

FIG. 5 is the lower rail in cross-section.

FIG. 5A is partially a cut away perspective view illustrating analternate embodiment of the lower rail, with the wedge including avented screed.

FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view in elevation of an alternateembodiment of the lower rail having a hexagonally shaped wrappingmember.

FIG. 6 is a schematic exploded view in perspective of the upper railused to connect the reinforcement fabric to the roof structure.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the assembled upper rail.

FIG. 8 is the upper rail in an exploded cross-section view.

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the assembled top rail.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view in perspective of the top rail having asaddle connector for connection to a joist or rafter.

FIG. 11 is a schematic view of in perspective of the top rail connectedto a joist by means of the saddle connector shown in FIG. 10

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of an alternate form of a saddle connector.

FIG. 13 is a schematic view in perspective of an alternative embodimentof the top rail.

FIG. 14 is a schematic view in elevation of the top rail of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a schematic view of in elevation of the top rail of FIG. 13in an assembled configuration.

FIG. 16 is a view of an alternate top rail.

FIG. 16A is a view of a rafter strap with a hook to be used with thestructure of FIG. 16.

FIG. 16B is a view of a rafter strap with a toggle used with thestructure of FIG. 16.

FIG. 17 is another view of a top rail and strap.

FIG. 18 is a view of a wall structure with two top plates.

FIG. 19 is a view of a top rail on the top plates of FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 is a view of yet another top rail and clips that can be usedwith it.

FIG. 21 is a view of a building wall system.

FIG. 22 is a view of different clip that can be used with a top rail.

FIG. 23 is a view of different top rail configurations.

FIG. 24 is a view of a claim shell arrangement that can be used tosecure the reinforcement fabric to the roof structure.

FIG. 24A is a view of the claim shell arrangement of FIG. 24 in anassembled condition.

FIG. 25 is a view of the of top rail with a housing that can be insertedinto the top rail.

FIG. 26 is a view of a strap and connector that can be used to connect atop rail to the roof structure.

FIG. 27 is another view of the strap and connector of FIG. 26 showing alocking mechanism.

FIG. 28 is a view of the strap and connector of FIG. 27 shown in anassembled condition.

FIG. 29 is a view of another embodiment of a top rail.

FIG. 30 is a view of another embodiment of a top rail.

FIG. 31 is a view of another embodiment of a top rail.

FIG. 32 is a view of another embodiment of a top rail.

FIG. 33A is a view of a wall system with a top rail and connector to theroof structure.

FIG. 33B is a view of a wall system with a top rail and connector to theroof structure.

FIG. 34 is a view of a wall system with a top rail and lower rail.

FIG. 35 is a view of a wall system with a top rail and lower rail.

FIG. 36 is a view of lower rail using a spline to attach thereinforcement fabric to the foundation.

FIG. 37 is a view of another lower rail using a spline to attach thereinforcement fabric to the foundation.

FIG. 38 is a view of a wall system and a top rail.

FIG. 39 is a view of lower rail.

FIG. 40 is a view of a wall system with a top rail.

FIG. 41 is a view of a wall system with a lower rail.

FIG. 42A is a view of wall system with a lower rail.

FIG. 42B is a view of another lower rail.

FIG. 43A is a view of a portion of a claim shell connector attached tothe foundation.

FIG. 43B is a view of the reinforcement fabric being applied to theclamshell connector of FIG. 43A.

FIG. 43C is a view of the remaining portion of the clamshell beingapplied to the structure of FIG. 43B.

FIG. 44 is a view of another wall system having a lower rail and spline.

FIG. 45 is a view of a top rail with a spline for attaching the fabric.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is understood that these drawings only illustrate some of thepreferred embodiments, and do not represent the full scope of theinvention for which reference should be made to the accompanying claims.

As shown in FIG. 1, a building or typical frame structure, indicatedgenerally as 10, is comprised of longitudinal wall members 12, end wallmembers 14, roof structure 16 comprised of one or more roof members, anda foundation 18. The longitudinal walls 12 and end walls 14 are exteriorshear walls that typically support the downward load of the roofstructure 16. The cutaway portion of FIG. 1 reveals representativehorizontal floor diaphragms 20 and 22, and interior shear walls 24 and26. The cutaway also shows that the roof structure 16 is comprised ofroof diaphragms 28. The roof structure 16 is covered with an exteriorroof covering 30 in the form of shingles. Other roof coverings can beused, such as, for example, tile, slate or metal decking (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 2, a wall 12 or 14 is comprised of studs 34 resting onsill plate or foundation plate 36. A flexible reinforcement fabric 40 isstretched between the upper portion of the wall 12, 14 or roof structure16 and the foundation 18. The reinforcement fabric 40 is a high tensilestrength fabric, and in one embodiment the reinforcement fabric 40 actsas an air barrier, eliminating the need for a separate air barrierlayer.

Positioned outside the reinforcement fabric 40 is the exterior wallcovering or cladding 42, which can be cementitious siding, such asHardiePlank® lap siding, wood siding, or vinyl siding, as well as otherexterior wall covering materials. The exterior wall panels 42 are shownpartially cut away in FIG. 2. At the top of the studs 34 are positionedtwo top plates, and upper top plate 44 and a lower top plate 46,respectively. Typically, these are 2×4 boards. The roof structure iscomprised of horizontally oriented joists 48, and angled roof rafters50. In some embodiments, the rafters and joists are combined into atruss, not shown. The roof structure 16 can be any one of many differentdesigns, but in general includes framing members such as joists, raftersand trusses, as well as the roof covering which can include roof deckelements applied to the framing members, and roof covering elements suchas shingles, tile, slate, and metal decking.

The present invention relates to an apparatus, a structural system, anda method for creating a continuous tensile load path from the roofingmembers and upper wall portion to a building's foundation to resistupward and lateral forces from lifting or otherwise removing the roofingmembers from the wall members, and the wall members from the foundation.The invention in some embodiments also relates to providing a framestructure with blast resistance and added resistance to penetration bysmall arms fire when particular types of flexible reinforcementmaterials are implemented, such as one or more plies of a ballisticfabric.

The invention generally relates to a means for providing a continuousload path from one or more roofing members of a structure to afoundation of that same structure. This comprises the use of a flexibleelongated reinforcement material having first and second edges to whicha first connecting member is associated with the first edge and a secondconnecting member is associated with the second edge opposite the firstedge. There is a first means for engaging the first connecting memberand for securing the first connecting member to a building structure,and a second means for engaging the second connecting member and forsecuring the second connecting member to a building structure, whereinthe connecting members and engaging means can be configured, dimensionedand operatively associated to provide tension to the flexible elongatedreinforcement material. The means for securing the connecting member toa building structure is with a connector housing as described in furtherdetail below and illustrated in the figures. The connector housing hasan attachment plate that is secured to the structure by fasteners knownto those skilled in the art, such as anchor bolts, lag screws, etc. Themeans for engaging the connecting member is a structural feature of theconnector housing, which may be with a bent or flange or U-shaped slotthat retains the connecting member under either the force of gravity ordue to tensioning of the reinforcement material. The invention alsofurther relates to a means for securing a roofing member to the meansfor securing a connecting member to the building structure. The meansfor securing a roof member is a roof member tie-down that can be astrap, belt, cord, rope, zip-tie, saddle connector and tie-rod, or otherelongated web of material that can be looped over a roof member andprovide resistance to upward forces, and may further comprise a securingfeature that operatively associates the means for securing a roof memberto connector housing, such as a hook, clip, toggle, stay, or otherattachment coupling known to those in the art.

In one embodiment, the invention comprises an upper or top rail that isaffixed latitudinally to the upper portion of a wall member and a loweror bottom rail that is affixed to the building's foundation. The upperrail is typically fastened to the top plates forming the wall usingstandard fasteners known to those in the construction arts, such asnails. The lower rail is fastened to the foundation using standardfasteners known to those in the construction arts, such as anchoringbolts.

The upper and lower rails each comprise at least two components that caninclude a connector housing and a connecting member, where theconnecting member is held by or within a portion of the connectorhousing. This portion of the connector housing can be a U-shaped slotformed by extruding the profile or creating a bend in the connectorhousing attachment plate, or a rectangular slot formed by a front and aback web of material.

The reinforcement apparatus generally comprises an upper rail and alower rail, two connecting members, and a flexible reinforcementmaterial typically in the form of sheeting having at least two edgesopposite each other, where one of the connecting members is attached tothe reinforcement material along a first edge and the other connectingmember is attached to the reinforcement material along the second,opposite edge. One of the connecting members is then inserted into andheld by the first connector housing and the second connecting member isinserted and held by the second connector housing to create a continuoustensile load path with the flexible reinforcement material. Thedifferent embodiments of the connector housings can be attached eitheralong an upper portion of a wall member to thereby form part of an upperrail, or along the foundation to thereby form a part of the lower railwithout deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Additional features of the connector housings allow the roofing members,such as the roof joists, trusses, and rafters, to be secured to aconnector housing with a roof member tie-down to provide a continuoustensile load path all the way from the roof through the flexiblereinforcement fabric to the foundation.

It should be noted that the structural reinforcement apparatus to whichthe present invention relates, would typically comprise at least twoconnector housings, two connecting members, and a length or pre-cutsection of flexible reinforcement material. The first and secondconnector housings could have different designs or be of the same designdepending upon the particular structure and application. Similarly, thefirst and second connecting members and associated connector housingslots could be of the same or different designs. In this manner, avariety of different embodiments of each of the components can be mixedand matched to best suit the particular application and implementationof the invention. The terms first connector housing and second connectorhousing also do not necessarily distinguish the positioning andorientation of a particular connector housing design described herein,and while there are preferable arrangements for fastening the differentdesigns to the foundation or wall members, the actual positioning of thecomponents should be considered interchangeable. A combination of aconnector housing and a wedge could therefore be used along the upperportion of a wall as well as along the foundation. Similarly, a roofmember tie-down could be secured to a first connector housing fastenedalong the upper portion of the wall, or to a first connector housingfastened to the foundation without deviating from the spirit or scope ofthe present invention. The examples of the different embodiments aredescribed having preferred orientation, but this should not beconsidered to limit the scope of the present invention.

A feature of the lower connector housing is that it is thin enough thatit does not protrude out past the back plane of any wall covering, suchas for example, vinyl siding, cedar shakes, stucco, plaster orbrick-face exterior wall covering. This avoids interference with thefinal form of the exterior walls, and does not require additionalengineering and/or framing to cover or compensate for the extrathickness.

In some of the embodiments described herein, a matched pair ofcomponents having mating convoluted faces can be used to retain theflexible reinforcement material instead of wrapping or inserting in aslot and retaining with a spline or wedge. Such mating convoluted facescan be utilized for associating the flexible material with either aconnecting member or for engagement with a connector housing asdescribed in more detail in reference to the particular embodiments.

Adhesives or double faced tape may also be utilized to further improvethe connection between the flexible reinforcement material and otherapparatus components, or between the different components themselves.

The best mode of the present invention also contemplates minimizing anyinterference with the actual construction and building cycle by allowingthe reinforcement apparatus to be installed independently from any ofthe other framing or construction stages.

Examples of different embodiments of each of the mentioned components aswell as different embodiments of the apparatus will now be described inmore detail with reference to the figures.

As shown in FIG. 2, the reinforcement fabric 40 is connected to thefoundation 18 by means of an attachment structure in the form of a lowerrail 54. This attachment structure connects the reinforcement fabric 40to the foundation 18 in a secure manner. The reinforcement fabric 40 isattached to the roof structure 16 by means of an attachment structure inthe form of an upper or top rail 80.

The flexible elongated reinforcement material 40 is preferably a highstrength material that imparts resistance to high wind events, seismicevents, and may also impart resistance to explosive blasts, andprojectiles fired from small arms weapons depending on the actualmaterial used. The flexible material 40 can be a woven ballistic fabricthat includes nylon or aramid (i.e., Kevlar®) fibers that can assist astructure to withstand vertical and horizontal forces, where thevertical forces can be lifting forces caused by high wind events, andthe horizontal forces can be lateral or parallel to the wall memberssuch as those possibly caused by seismic events, or perpendicular to theface of the wall members such as that caused by an explosive blast andhigh winds. In one embodiment, one or more sheets of ballistic fabricsuch as Kevlar® can be used as the flexible material to provide improvedresistance to penetration of the wall by projectiles due to for exampledebris carried by high winds or small arms fire.

When a plurality of flexible reinforcement sheets are used to provideimproved blast protection or improved resistance to penetration byprojectiles, the multiple layers of material can be wrapped around orotherwise attached to the same connecting member. The connecting memberand means for engaging the connecting member may required reconfiguringand redimensioning to accommodate the increased thickness of the addedplies of flexible material. Adhesives may also be utilized to improvethe connection between individual sheets and with the connecting memberto prevent slippage.

As shown in FIGS. 3-5, the lower rail 54 is an elongated member that isintended to be affixed latitudinally to the outside face of astructure's foundation 18, and is comprised of a connector housing 56,which is also called the foundation connector, when attached to thefoundation, and a connecting member 58, also referred to as a wedge whenL-shaped.

The lower portion of the connector housing or foundation connector 56has a downwardly oriented slot 60 defined by inner 62, and outer 64flanges, as shown in FIG. 3. The slot is preferably a U-shaped slotconfigured and dimensioned to receive a connecting member. Such a slot60 can be between 3/16- 5/16 wide and 1-2 inches deep, but is preferably¼ inch wide and approximately 1.5 inches deep.

The foundation connector 56 is provided with bolt holes 66 in both theupper and lower portions to enable the foundation connector 56 to beanchored to the foundation 18 with fasteners, such as anchoring bolts68, and to secure the connecting member 58 in place as shown in FIGS. 4and 5. Any suitable type of and number of anchoring bolts 68 can beused. For example, the anchoring bolts can be spaced laterally at aspacing of approximately 6 inches. In other embodiments, the spacing islarger or smaller than 6 inches. The foundation connector 56 is fastenedhorizontally along the face of the foundation 18 with the slot 60aligned in a vertical direction. The slot 60 functions as a means forengaging a connecting member 58, and the connector housing 56 is a meansfor securing the connecting member 58 to a building structure. Theconnecting member 58 is a means for operatively associating the flexiblereinforcement material 40 with the connector housing 56.

The connector housing 56 in the preferred embodiment shown has across-section that is approximately 2½ inches tall and approximately ½inches in thickness, although the connector housing could be betweenapproximately 2 and 3½ inches tall and ⅜-¾ inches thick. As mentionedabove, the thickness of the connector housing should be approximatelythe same as the thickness of the exterior wall board to avoid stickingout past the back plane of the exterior wall covering so it does notflex or bulge outwards at the foundation. The lower rail can be suppliedin lengths such as 6 or 8 feet in length, or any other suitable lengths.

In a preferred embodiment, the connecting member, which is referred toas a wedge 58 when it is in the form of an L-shape and comprised of anupwardly extending flange 72 and a bottom lip 74. The connecting memberor wedge 58 is configured and dimensioned to be inserted into the slot60 in the foundation connector 56 for a tight, slip, interference, orpush fit when wrapped with the reinforcement material 40. Prior toinserting the wedge 58 into the slot 60, the reinforcement fabric 40 isarranged over or wrapped over the wedge so that when the wedge isinserted into the slot 60, the fabric is gripped and held in placearound the wedge. The wedge is preferably secured in place within theslot 60. The connecting member can be fastened in place with a fastener,such as a screw or anchoring bolt, although in some embodiments afastener may not be necessary, or held in place within the connectorhousing with a retaining block that is fastened to the foundation with asuitable fastener such as an anchoring bolt, as shown in FIG. 4A. Theretaining block may be fastened directly to the foundation with ananchor bolt, directly to the bottom portion of the attachment plate ofthe connector housing with a fastener, or through the bottom portion tothe foundation with an anchor bolt. The connecting member 58 can bereferred to as a batten when it is a straight bar without a lip.

The bottom lip 74 of the wedge can extend horizontally to be flush withthe front face 76 of the connector 56. In another embodiment, the bottomlip 74 can extend beyond the front face 76 of the connector housing 56in order to provide an outwardly extending and upwardly facing edge 78.This upwardly facing edge 78 can be used as a support surface for thewall panels or exterior wall covering 42. Alternatively, the upwardlyfacing edge can be used as a starter strip or an alignment guide for theinstallation of the wall panels or exterior wall covering 42. As anexample, the upwardly facing flange can be a ¼ inch spacer to providealignment for Hardy Board siding. In another embodiment, the upwardlyfacing edge acts as a starter lip for vinyl siding.

In another preferred embodiment, the connecting member 58 can be astraight batten without the bottom lip 74, which is configured anddimensioned to fit within the slot 60 of the connector housing andextends downward, such that it is flush with the inner flange 62 of theconnector housing 56. The connecting member is then secured within theslot 60 using a retaining block that is fastened to the foundation justbelow the batten so that it presses the batten snuggly into the slot ofthe connector housing. A retaining block is preferably square orcircular, although any shape that can press against the lower edge ofthe batten could be used to hold it in place.

In yet another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5A, the upwardly facing edge78 of a connecting member 58A of an alternate wedge design is a ventedscreed plaster stop 78A with weep holes 79A. The vented screed 78A isconnected to or integral with the wedge variant 58A, and the ventedscreed 78A provides support to the exterior wall covering 42. Inaddition, one or more layers of kraft paper can be placed between theplaster or stucco and the flexible reinforcing material to prevent theflexible material from being damaged by the alkalinity of the water andmoisture from the wet concrete, plaster or stucco before it can exitthrough the weep holes.

It can be seen in FIG. 4, that with the wedge 58 inserted into the slot60, and the reinforcement fabric 40 wrapped around the wedge 58, thefabric will be secured and prevented from being pulled up and out fromthe slot, and thus the fabric will be secured to the foundation. Tosecurely hold the fabric, the slot 60 and connecting member 58 must beconfigured and dimensioned such that the fabric-wrapped wedge can beinserted into the slot with a minimal amount of play, so that the fabricis constrained by the wedge 58 to the extent that the fabric cannotslip. More preferably, the slot 60 and wedge or batten 58 are configuredand dimensioned to have a slip or push fit so the fabric-wrapped wedge58 is firmly held within the slot 60. To assist in preventing undesiredslipping of the fabric, the exterior of the wedge or batten, or thesides of the slot 60, or both, optionally can be provided with highfriction surfaces, such as from knurling or coatings (not shown). Inaddition or in the alternative, adhesives or double-sided tape may beutilized to prevent the undesired slippage of the fabric.

In other embodiments, retaining blocks 70 can be used to secure aconnecting member within the slot of a connector housing, as shown inFIG. 4A.

It can be seen in FIG. 5, that the connecting member 58 can be any flatmember that can be inserted into the slot 60. In a broad sense, thefunction of the Connecting member 58 and slot 60 can be performed by anynumber of combinations of slots or openings coupled with a wrappedmember. The term “wrapped member” includes not only an element aboutwhich the fabric is wrapped around like thread on a spool, but also anelement that forces the reinforcement fabric 40 to follow or wrap arounda non linear path that restricts the ability of the fabric to slip. Inthe various embodiments, the connector housing slot and wrapped memberhave geometries that prevent rotation of the wrapped member or slippageof the reinforcement fabric 40 once the wrapped member is inserted intothe slot. This will lock or secure the fabric to the lower rail 54.

An example of an alternate opening and wrapped member is shown in FIG.5B, where a lower rail 54B includes a foundation connector 56B and ahexagonally shaped connecting member 58B. The foundation connector 56Bhas a downwardly oriented opening 60B that has a mating or correspondinggeometry to that of the connecting member 58B. It can be seen that oncethe connecting member 58B is wrapped and is inserted into the opening60B, the wrapped member 58B will not be able to rotate within thehexagonal opening 60B due to the functionally associated shapes of themember and opening. It can be appreciated that there are advantages inhaving a slim opening and the wrapping member rather than bulky openingsand wrapping member in order to fit in with conventional buildingconstruction designs.

As shown in FIGS. 6-9, the top rail 80 is comprised of a connectorhousing 82, also called a roof structure connector plate, when attachedalong the upper portion of a wall member or high heel truss, and aconnecting member 84 or batten when shaped as a flat straight bar,around which the reinforcement fabric 40 is wrapped.

The connector housing or roof structure connector plate 82 is asubstantially flat plate that has a flange or boss 86 extendingperpendicular to the face of the attachment plate portion 88 of the roofstructure connector plate 82. The boss 86 is preferably hollowed out toform a slot 90 extending along the length of top rail, wherein the slot90 is preferably rectangular, but may be other shapes such as round,oval or square without deviating from the spirit and scope of theinvention. The slot 90 is preferably configured and dimensioned toreceive an elongated clip 98 that will provide a reinforcement forretaining the locking member of a roof member tie-down inserted intoaccess holes in the boss, as further described below. The roof structureconnector plate 82 is provided with a plurality of screw holes 92through the attachment plate portion 88 to enable the roof structureconnector plate 82 to be connected to the double headers or top plates44 and 46. Any suitable fasteners known to those in the constructionarts can be used. The slot 94 functions as a means for engaging aconnecting member 84, and the connector housing 82 is a means forsecuring the connecting member 84 to a building structure. Theconnecting member 84 is a means for operatively associating the flexiblereinforcement material 40 with the connector housing 82 in conjunctionwith the slot 90.

In an alternate embodiment, not shown, where the roof structureconstruction includes a raised heel truss, the roof structure connectorplate or second connector housing 82 can be connected to a vertical beamconnecting the angled roof rafters to the horizontal roof joists.

As further shown in FIGS. 6-9, the roof structure connector plate 82includes an upwardly oriented slot 94 defined by the lower portion ofthe attachment plate 97, the curved bottom, and front flange 96, whereinthe slot can be a U-shaped slot. The reinforcement fabric 40 can bewrapped around the connecting member 84, which is configured anddimensioned to be positioned in the slot 94 to anchor the reinforcementfabric 40 to the top rail 80, and hence to the roof structure. Theconnecting member or batten 84 can be made of any suitable material,such as plastic or wood, and is preferably sized to fit snugly into theslot 94 when wrapped by the reinforcement fabric. The fit can be eithera slip fit or a push fit to provide a minimum amount of play between thewrapped batten and the slot.

In one embodiment the batten 84 can be approximately ¼ inch thick andapproximately 1.5 inches high, although other dimensions can be used.

When the top rail 80 is properly positioned, it can be seen that thereinforcement fabric 40 is wrapped around the batten 84, and the batten84 is positioned in the upwardly oriented slot 94, the reinforcementfabric 40 is thereby operatively connected to the upper portion of thewall structure through the roof structure connector plate 82. Since theslot 60 in the foundation connector 56 is oriented downwardly when thebottom rail is properly positioned, and the slot 94 in the top rail 80is oriented upwardly when the top rail is properly positionedlatitudinally across the upper portion of a wall, the reinforcementfabric 40 can be maintained in tension if desired. In various preferredembodiments the reinforcement fabric 40 is installed in a state oftension, although this is not required. The complete buildingconstruction and installed apparatus provides a continuous load pathfrom the roof structure to the foundation. In an optional embodiment,the slot 94 of the roof structure connector plate includes drain holesto allow moisture to drain out. In another embodiment, the reinforcementfabric 40 and batten 84 are packaged and shipped with the reinforcementfabric 40 wrapped around and affixed to the batten 84.

It can be seen that with the batten 84 inserted into the upwardlyoriented slot 94, and the reinforcement fabric 40 wrapped around thebatten 84, the fabric will be secured and prevented from being pulled upand out from the slot, and thus the fabric will be secured to the roofstructure. The fabric must be wrapped around the batten 84 to the extentthat it cannot slip. To assist in preventing undesired unwrapping of thefabric, the surface of the batten and of the sides of the slot 94optionally can be provided with high friction surfaces. In addition orin the alternative, adhesives or double-sided tapes may be utilized toprevent the undesired slippage of the fabric. In a broad sense, thefunction of the batten 84 and slot 94 can be performed by any number ofcombinations of slots or openings coupled with a wrapped member, wherethe opening and wrapped member have a geometry that prevents rotationand of the wrapped member once it is inserted into the opening. Further,the geometry prevents slipping of the reinforcement fabric 40 from thewrapped member.

The boss 86 includes the elongated slot 90 which is configured anddimensioned to receive an elongated clip 98. As shown in FIG. 6, theclip 98 is provided with a plurality of clip openings 100 that aresuitable for allowing the attachment member of a roof member tie-down,such as tension rods 104, to be inserted into and retained by theelongated clip 98. The tension rods 104 are used in conjunction with theroof member securing portion, which in this embodiment is a saddleconnector 120, to form one embodiment of a roof member tie-down thatsecures the roof rafters to the roof structure connector plate of thetop rail. The attachment members or tension rods are preferably made ofnylon, but can be made of any suitable material with good tensilestrength and service life, such as engineering plastics or polymercomposite materials having reinforcing fibers.

The tension rods are of a length suitable to attach a saddle connectoror other roof member tie-down to the boss of the connector housing. In aparticular embodiment, the tension rods can have an extended length thatallows them to reach from a roof member tie-down located on a roofmember to a connector housing having a boss that is fastened to thefoundation. In such an embodiment, access to the connector housing alonga foundation and the ends of the tension rods can allow subsequentincreases in tension to compensate for slack in the tension rods due tocreep or relaxation of the tension rod material or shrinkage of theframing members of a structure over time. Tension rods used to secure aroof member tie-down to an upper rail will therefore be shorter thantension rods used to secure a roof member tie-down to a lower rail.

A preferred embodiment of the invention uses a roof member tie-down andtension rod made of high strength, low elongation fibers and anengineering plastic that has low creep and good oxidation and weatheringresistance to thereby improve performance and service life.

As can be seen in FIGS. 10-12, the roof tie-downs can comprise a saddleconnector that is placed over the top edge of a roof rafter and one ormore tie rods to secure the saddle connector to the flange or boss ofthe roof structure connector plate comprising the top rail.

As can be seen in FIG. 8, the clip 98 has an elongated slot 102 definedby the edges 103 of the clip 98. Edges 103 are curved (downwardly asshown in FIG. 8) to provide a one-way directionality, so that when thetension rods 104 are inserted into the slot 102, they cannot be pulledout. In an alternate embodiment, the tension rods 104 have an integratedratcheting teeth or gear rack, such as used in a zip tie, or barbs thathave a positive gripping action against the downwardly curving edges 103of the clip 98. In that case the slot 102 would be provided with aratchet configuration that allows the tension rods 104 to be pulled orpushed through in one direction only.

The flange or boss 86 is also provided with access holes 106 that havethe same spacing as the clip openings 100. When the elongated clip 98 isinserted into the slot 90 of the flange 86, and the clip openings 100are lined up with the access holes 106, the tension rods 104 can beinserted through the access holes 106 and captured or retained by theslot 102.

As shown in FIGS. 10-11, the tension rods 104 are useful to connect thetop rail 80, and hence the reinforcement fabric 40, to the roofstructure 16. The tension rods 104 can be connected to a saddleconnector 110. Alternatively, the tension rods 104 can be integral withthe saddle connector 110. The saddle connector 110 can include an anchorface 114 configured to rest on a rafter 50. The anchor face 114optionally can be provided with an attachment hole, such as nail hole112, to facilitate the placement of a nail, not shown, to secure thesaddle connector to the rafter 50. Any suitable fastener can be used.The saddle connector 110 can also include side webs 116 that taper downinto the tension rods 104 as shown in FIG. 11. The saddle connector 110and all of its components are made of high tensile strength materials asdescribed above. It can be seen that when the saddle connector 110 isplaced on the top of the rafter 50, the tension rods 104 can be insertedinto the clip openings 100 of the elongated clip 98 to secure a roofrafter 50 to the connector housing 82 of the top rail 80. In thismanner, the top rail 80 and hence the reinforcement fabric 40 areoperatively connected to the rafter 50. It is to be understood that thesaddle connector 110 can just as easily be connected to the joist 48rather than to the rafter 50. Also, other types of connectors, notshown, can be used. In a broader sense, it can be seen that the saddleconnector 110 is an example of a reinforcement link that connects theconnector housing 82, and hence the reinforcement fabric 40, to the roofstructure 16.

It can be seen that by providing an anchoring connection using the lowerrail 54 connected to the foundation 18, and the top rail 80 connected tothe roof structure 16, the roof structure 16 is connected to thefoundation in a manner that will substantially increase the strength ofthe connection between the roof structure 16 and the reminder of thebuilding. This will increase the resistance to the forces that wouldseparate the roof structure 16 from the remainder of the building duringnatural disasters, which is defined as earthquakes, blast events, highwinds from hurricanes and tornados, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 12, an alternative embodiment of a roof member tie-downin the form of a saddle connector is shown at 120. The roof membertie-down includes a saddle connector 120 having an anchor face 122configured to rest on the rafter 50. The anchor face 122 optionally canbe provided with attachment holes 124 to enable the saddle connector 120to be secured to the rafter 50. The saddle connector 120 includes sidewebs and straps 126 on each side, forming a body portion that joins theattachment portion to the securing portion. The straps 126 have holesthat can accommodate tension rods having rounded or spherical heads toallow the roof member tie-down to accommodate a range of roof angles.The side webs 126 can be in the form of metal clips. An alternateembodiment of the tension rods 128 include swivel pins 130 at theirupper ends. The swivel pins 130 are passed through openings in thestraps 126 to provide a connection to the webs 126. The tension rods 128are thus connected to the straps 126, and hence to the saddle connectorand the rafter 50 to transfer any upward force to the upper rail, andthrough the connecting members and reinforcement fabric to the lowerrail and foundation. The saddle connector, webbing straps, and tensionrods therefore function as a means for securing a roof member to aconnector housing and thereby to a building structure.

In another preferred embodiment, an alternate top rail is configured asshown in FIGS. 13-15. The top rail 130 shown in FIG. 13 includes aflange 86 with a slot to receive the elongated clip 98, in a manner thatis similar to what is shown in FIGS. 6-9. The lower portion of the toprail 130 includes a downwardly oriented slot 134, which is preferablyrectangular, defined by a front face 132 and a vertical web 136. Thevertical web 136 includes an inwardly projecting retainer clip 138. Aseparate batten housing 140 is comprised of top and bottom edges 142,144, and a front face 146. A connecting member or batten 148 can bewrapped with the reinforcement fabric 40 to thereby affix thereinforcement fabric 40 to the batten 148. The wrapped batten 148 can beplaced in the batten housing 140, and the batten housing 140 enclosingthe wrapped batten can be inserted into the downwardly oriented slot 134by springing the vertical web 136 to temporarily pull the retainerflange 138 away from the front face 132. The bottom edge of the inwardlyprojecting retainer flange 138 can have a chamfered or beveled edge 150shown in FIG. 14, to more easily enable the housing 140 to be snappedinto place. An advantage of this embodiment is that the reinforcementfabric 40 remains in one plane, flush along the front face 132 of thetop rail 130, and the wall member, as shown in FIG. 15, thereby avoidingstress points for the fabric.

An alternate embodiment of a top rail is shown in FIGS. 16 and 16A,comprising an upper flange 160 extending from and parallel to theattachment plate portion 88. The upper flange 160 has one or moreopenings 165 configured and dimensioned to allow rafter strap(s) 170,with or without an end clip 175 attached, to pass through and be securedto the material 178, 179 surrounding the opening 165. Each opening inthe upper flange 160 therefore has top 178 and side 179 bars to which arafter strap 170 can be secured. The upper flange 160 of the connectorhousing 56 has openings 165 that are preferable evenly spaced along itslength to further allow a web of material to be looped around therafters 50 or roof joists 48 forming the roof of a building and fastenedto the connector housing 56. The rafter strap 170 may be passed throughan opening and tied to the surrounding material or fastened using aclip, stay, or hook 175 suitably attached to one or both ends of thestrap webbing.

The tie-down strap 170 comprises a web of flexible material that can bepassed through an opening in the upper flange and tied to the side 179or top 178 bars of the flange opening.

An alternate stay in the form of a toggle 176 is illustrated in FIG.16A. The toggle 176 is larger than the opening to prevent the rafterstrap from pulling free from the upper flange 160 when under tension.The toggle may thereby distribute the tension more evenly to the top andside bars of the upper flange than a hook or clip because it engagesmultiple points at the same time. With one end of the rafter strap websecured in an upper flange opening, the strap can be looped over a roofmember and secured to the same or different opening. The roof strap mayalso have suitable additional components, as would be known in the art,to allow further tensioning of the strap once both ends were secured tothe upper flange by ties, clips, hooks, or stays.

In the alternate embodiment shown in FIG. 17, the connector housing 56can be folded over on itself to form the attachment plate 88, andsecured between the two top plates 44, 46 during construction. Such adesign can provide a back flange 162 with similar openings 165 to thoseshown in FIG. 16, so there are openings 165 to secure a rafter strap onboth sides of the top plates, while still comprising a U-shaped slotthat engages a wrapped connecting member. In another embodiment, shownin FIG. 29, the connector housing can have an upper portion forming aJ-shaped flange, and the openings are placed in the face of theattachment plate. In this manner, the J-portion provides sufficientclearance between the wall member and the openings in the face of theattachment plate to allow the rafter straps 170, hooks, clips, etc. 175,to be inserted into the openings. Rafter straps comprising J-hooks canthen be looped over a roof member 48, 50 and attached to the connectorhousing on either side of a roof member 48, 50 with the hooks 175 ateach end of the strap 170 inserted into an opening 165.

FIG. 18 is a detailed view of the upper portion of a wall structure withtwo wall studs 34 and upper 44 and lower 46 top plates.

In another alternate embodiment shown in FIG. 19, the connector housing56 can be folded over on itself to form the attachment plate 88 havingfastener openings 92, and secured to the upper top plate 46 of FIG. 18using fasteners known to those of skill in the art. This embodiment alsohas an upper flange 160 with openings 165 similar to the features shownin FIG. 16 to allow rafter strap(s) 170, with or without an end clip 175attached. The connector housing still comprises a slot 94 and frontflange 96 for engaging a connecting member 84.

FIG. 19A is a view of a clip that can be used with the top rail of FIG.19.

FIG. 20 illustrates one example of a connector housing, as shown in FIG.17, installed between the upper 44 and lower 46 top plates of a wallmember, and having a roof strap with a J-hook 175, attached to one endof the strap 170 that is engaged in an opening 165, looped over a roofmember 50 and tied to an opening 165 in the back flange 162. The upper160 and back 162 flanges with their respective openings function as ameans for securing the roof member tie-down comprising the roof strapand J-hook.

FIG. 21 illustrates an example of a structural reinforcement apparatusinstalled on a frame structure, in which the design of upper railutilized is the embodiment of connector housing, connecting member androof member tie-down depicted in FIG. 22 and the lower rail is theembodiment of clam shell style connector housing, and connecting memberdepicted in FIGS. 43A-C. FIG. 21 illustrates the ability to assemble astructural reinforcement apparatus comprising the various embodiments ofupper and lower rails encompassed by the present invention. The framestructure having at least a roofing member and one or more wall memberserected upon a foundation, the structure comprising an elongatedflexible reinforcement material having a first and second end, aconnecting member associated with the first end and a second connectingmember associated with the second of the flexible reinforcementmaterial. A first means for engaging the first connecting member issecured to the frame structure and a second means for engaging thesecond connecting member are secured to upper and lower portions of theframe structure. The means for engaging the connecting members areconnector housings that have features configured and dimensioned to beoperatively associated with the connecting members to provide tension tothe elongated flexible reinforcement material.

In this example the means for engaging the connecting member along theupper portion of the building is top rail 2280 having a connectorhousing 2282 comprising slot 2294 for retaining a connecting member2284, such as a wrapped batten. The means for engaging the otherconnecting member along the foundation of the building is a lower rail4354 having a connector housing 4382 comprising a convoluted face forengaging the flexible reinforcement material 40 and connecting member4384. The means for engaging one or more roof member tie-downs are theopenings 165 in connector housing 2282 that can engage an attachmentfeature of the roof member tie-down, for example a J-hook connected to aroof strap.

FIG. 21A is a more detailed view of the lower rail of FIG. 21.

FIG. 22 illustrates another embodiment of a connector housing that canbe installed to the upper wall members as part of a top rail. Theconnector housing 2282 comprises a lower portion having a front flange2296 forming a slot 2294, and an upper flange having openings to engagea roof member tie-down. The attachment plate connects to the upper edgeof the upper flange at approximately 90 degrees and may have a back lip.The attachment plate 2288 is configured and dimensioned to be installedon top of an upper top plate 44 and secured with fasteners known tothose with skill in the art. The upper flange is parallel to the frontface of the wall members, and configured and dimensioned to provideclearance between the openings in the flange and the top plates to allowinsertion of a hook or clip into the openings. The slot is configuredand dimensioned to receive a connecting member, such as wrapped batten.

FIG. 23 shows a close-up view of a top rail 2380 comprising theconnector housing 2282 depicted in FIG. 22, and a clam shell styleconnecting member 2484 as depicted in FIGS. 24 and 24A, installed on topof an upper top plate 44.

FIG. 24 is an illustration of another embodiment of a connecting member2484 in the form of a claim shell arrangement that can be implementedwith the various connector housing 56, 82 engaging means, such as theslots 60, 94. In this embodiment, the connecting member 2484 comprisestwo halves 2485 and 2486 that each have a convoluted face 2487configured and dimensioned to mate with the convoluted face of theopposing half 2488. The convoluted faces 2487, 2488 are sufficient torestrain the flexible reinforcement fabric 40 between the two halves2485, 2486 even under an operating load without slippage of the fabriconce they are assembled. The two halves can be snapped together usingmolded tabs and catches or otherwise fastened together using fastenersknown to those of skill in the art (not shown). In a variant of thisembodiment, the clam shell halves may also comprise a hinge 2489 betweenthe two halves. The clam shell style connecting member is configured anddimensioned to engage the connector housing in the same manner as any ofthe other connecting members describe herein.

FIG. 24A is a view of the claim shell connecting member 2484 arrangementof FIG. 24 in an assembled condition with reinforcement material 40.

Another embodiment of a connector housing 2582 having an alternateengaging means for a connecting member 2584 is illustrated in FIG. 25.This embodiment has a recessed slot 2583 and opening 2585 with opposingretaining clips 2587 for engaging a connecting member 2584. A connectingmember 2584 can be snapped into position and retained in the slot 2583by the opposing retaining clips 2587. This allows the flexiblereinforcement material to extend essentially flush along the face of theconnector housing rather than bending around a sharp corner. Theembodiment further comprises an upper flange 160 for securing a roofmember tie-down.

A roof member tie-down 200 connects a roof member 48, 50 to theconnector housing 82 to form a continuous load path from the roof memberto the connector housing and eventually to the foundation 18. A roofmember tie-down comprises at least a roof member securing portion 210,and may further comprise a body portion 220 that is the interveningmaterial and/or structure and an attachment portion 230 that allows thebody portion to be secured to a connector housing 56, 82. The bodyportion 220 joins the attachment portion 230 to the roof member securingportion 210. The roof member tie-down 200, may also be a rope, cord, orflexible strap, with or without clips or hooks at the end(s) of therope, cord, or flexible strap, wherein the length of material loopedover a roof member is the securing portion 210. The roof member tie-down200 functions as a means for securing a roof joist 48 or roof rafter 50to a connector housing 56, 82.

FIG. 26 illustrates another embodiment of a roof member tie-down 200with a gear rack strap 230 and connector that can be used to connect atop rail to the roof structure. The roof member tie-down 200 comprisesan attachment block 210, a T-slot coupling 220 extending from the backface of the attachment block 210, a gear rack strap 230 such as a ziptie extending from one edge of the attachment block 210, and a ratchetcasing 240 located along and parallel to the edge opposite to the gearrack strap 230. The attachment block 210 is preferably rectangular, butmay be other shapes. The T-slot coupling 220 is configured anddimensioned to fit securely into a T-Slot in a corresponding connectorhousing. A plurality of attachment block style tie-downs 200 can beseparately attached to the same connector housing at different pointsalong the T-slot. The attachment block tie-down 200 can be attached tothe connector housing by sliding the T-coupling into the T-slot openingat the end of the connector housing. This arrangement allows eachattachment block style tie-down to be separately positioned underindividual roof members, and the gear rack strap to be looped over theroof member.

The T-slot coupling 220 is preferably rectangular, although it may beconfigured and dimensioned such that it is almost square. In oneconfiguration, the mating T-slot is configured and dimensioned to matchthe larger dimensions of the coupling. This allows additional orreplacement attachment block tie-downs 200 to be inserted into the frontslot of the T-slot and rotated 90 degrees to become secured within theT-slot by the larger dimensioned portion of the coupling 220.

FIG. 27 is another view of the gear rack strap and attachment blockstyle of roof member tie-down illustrated in FIG. 26. FIG. 27 shows aprofile of the T-slot coupling 220 extending out from the back face ofthe attachment block 210 and configured to slide into a mating T-slot.An isometric view from the back of the attachment block style roofmember tie-down, shown in FIG. 28, shows the T-slot coupling 220extending out from the back face of the attachment block, and the gearrack strap 230 extending from the upper edge and flush with the sideedge of the attachment block 210. The strap 230 is shown bent towardsthe ratchet case 240 to be received therein.

FIG. 29 is a view of another embodiment of a top rail 2280 in which theupper portion of the connector housing is bent approximately 90 degreesin relation to the front face, such that the upper portion forms anattachment plate 2288 that can be fastened to the top of the upper topplate 44. The lower portion of the connector housing has a front flange2296 forming a slot 2294 to engage a connecting member, and there areopenings along the length of the connector housing below the bend thatare configured and dimensioned to accept the J-hooks or clips 175attached to the ends of a roof strap that can be looped over a roofmember 48, 50.

FIG. 30 is a view of another embodiment of a top rail 3080 in which theupper portion of the connector housing is a box structure 250 locatedabove the slot and providing sufficient clearance between the bottomface of the box and opening of the slot to allow engagement of aconnecting member. The box structure has openings 255 that areconfigured and dimensioned to receive roof straps and/or clips, j-hook,etc.

FIG. 31 is a view of another embodiment of a top rail that comprises anupper 3194 and lower 94 slot, in which the upper slot 3194 formed buyflange 3196 can engage the J-hook 175 at the ends of a roof strap, andthe lower slot 94 formed by front flange 96 can engage a connectingmember 84.

FIG. 32 is a view of another embodiment of a top rail in which both themeans for engaging a connecting member and the means for engaging a roofmember tie-down are both slots 94, 3194 formed by angled flanges 96,3196. The connecting member can be operatively associated with theupward facing slot, and a J-hook can be operatively associated with thedownwardly facing slot.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 33A, a connecting member cancomprise a batten 3358 to which the flexible reinforcement material 40can be attached and straps 3359 extending from the batten which have agear rack that can be secured in a ratchet case 3357 similar to a ziptie. The corresponding connector housing 3356 would comprises anattachment plate with one or more ratchet case(s) extending from theface of the attachment plate that are configured and dimensioned toaccepts and secure an associated gear rack strap from the connectingmember. The ratchet cases and gear rack straps would have the samespacing along the edge of the connecting member and face of connectorhousing respectively. The gear rack preferably faces towards theattachment plate of the connector housing and associated ratchet.

Using a connecting member having a plurality of gear rack straps evenlyspaced along an edge in conjunction with a connector housing having aplurality of equally spaced ratchet cases allows the flexiblereinforcement material to be quickly attached to the connector housing,and also allows post-installation re-tensioning to take up any slackintroduced over time by pushing or pulling the gear rack straps furtherinto the ratchet cases to engage gears further up the strap.

In various implementations of this embodiment, a connecting member canbe attached along either or both edges of the flexible reinforcementmaterial and a connector housing affixed to either the upper portion ofa wall member or the foundation or both.

In one embodiment, the actual connecting member is formed around one orboth edge portions of the flexible reinforcement material, for exampleby injection molding the connecting member around the flexible materialedge, or by hot pressing or ultrasonic welding two halves of aconnecting member together to thereby sandwich the flexible materialbetween the halves. Other means of forming or joining polymer componentsare known to those in the plastic fabrication arts and can similarly beused to permanently join a connecting member to an edge of the flexiblereinforcement material.

In another embodiment illustrated in FIG. 33B, the connector housingcomprises a C-shaped beam that is configured and dimensioned to beinstalled on top of the foundation wall and beneath the sill plates 36of a wall member. The ratchet casing(s) 3357 are located on the outsideface of a side plate forming the connector housing.

FIG. 34 illustrates the use of reinforcement rods 3457 affixed to one orboth edges of the flexible reinforcement fabric 40 before forming aconnecting member 3454, 3484 over the edge of the fabric to distributeany tension on the fabric over a larger surface area within theconnecting member 3484. This resists the fabric pulling free from theconnecting member or causing the opposite sides of the connecting memberto separate at a weld line. The connecting member is formed around thereinforcing rod and flexible fabric in the same way described above forFIG. 33. The flexible reinforcement material and preformed connectingmember(s) can be included as components of a pre-assembled kit.

FIG. 35 shows a simplified version of the invention wherein a top platehas an upward angled slot cut into the edge facing the exterior of thewall member to form a means for engaging a connecting member 3558 whichcan be either a batten wrapped with the reinforcing fabric that can beinserted into the slot, or a wedge or batten that can force thereinforcing fabric into the cut slot and secure it to the engagingmeans. A means for engaging the other end of the reinforcement fabriccan be made by cutting a slot into either the sole plate or sill plate,and angled in a direction opposite the slot cut in the top plate. In theillustrated example, a wrapped batten may be anchored directly to thefoundation. The flexible reinforcement fabric may also be secured to thefoundation using any of the other means disclosed herein for engaging aconnecting member.

Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 36,which is a view of lower rail using a smaller batten or spline to securethe reinforcement fabric 40 to the connector housing affixed to thefoundation.

FIG. 37 is a view of another lower rail using a spline 3758 to attachthe reinforcement fabric to the foundation in which the connectorhousing 3756 sit on top of a ledge formed by the foundation and sillplate. The attachment plate is the lower portion of the connectorhousing that is fastened to the foundation.

In the example shown in FIG. 38, a connector housing is attached to theupper portion of a wall at the top plates, and the same form ofconnector housing can be attached to the foundation. This approach canbe implemented when attaching the same embodiment of connector housingto both the upper portion of a wall and the foundation.

FIG. 39 is an example of lower rail in which the orientation of the slot60 and the connector housing 56 can be reversed by securing theattachment plate of a connector housing 56 below the downwardly orientedslot 60 opening. This approach can also be implemented when attachingthe same embodiment of connector housing to both the upper portion of awall and the foundation.

FIG. 40 is a view of a wall system with a top rail and lower rail.

FIG. 41 is a view of a wall system with a lower rail described inreference to FIG. 42B.

FIG. 42A shows an embodiment of a lower rail comprising a connectorhousing 456 and a batten 458. The connector housing comprises anattachment plate having bolt holes to facilitate fastening to a wall orfoundation, and a downwardly facing slot formed by the attachment plateand front flange. In this particular embodiment, the attachment plate issufficiently thin to allow clearance for the bolt head when fastened toa foundation below the wall covering, and the front flange curvesoutwardly from the attachment plate to form a tapered slot.

FIG. 42B is a view of an alternative connector housing 556 that is arectangular block having a rectangular slot and preferably a curved lipon the front flange (not shown).

FIGS. 43A-C illustrate another embodiment of a lower rail 4354 attachedto a foundation, wherein the connector housing 4356 and connectingmember 4358 are matching halves of a clam shell design comparable to thedesign of the connecting member shown in FIGS. 24-24A. In thisembodiment the connector housing 4356 comprises an elongated bar with aconvoluted face 4357 and bolt holes 4366 located at intervals along thelength of the bar, as shown in FIG. 43A. The connector housing isfastened to the foundation 18 using fasteners, such as anchor bolts,know to those in the art. The connecting member may be attached to theconnector housing by an integral flexible hinge 4359 as illustrated, ormay be a separate piece (not shown). The connector housing 4356 mayfurther comprises a pre-applied adhesive or double faced tape 4361, orthis may be applied during assembly and installation of the apparatus toa structure. The flexible reinforcement material 40 is pulled tautagainst the face of the connector housing and temporarily held in placeby pre-applied adhesive or double faced tape. The flexible material 40may then be cut to length using a guide notch 4363 located below theadhesive or tape 4361, as shown in FIG. 43B.

The connecting member 4358 is also and elongated bar with a matchingconvoluted face 4367 that engages the connector housing 4356 andcompresses the flexible material within the mating convolutions 4357 todraw the flexible material taut. In this manner, the mating facesfunction as a series of shallower slots formed by the convolutions 4357,4367 instead of one larger slot into which a wrapped spline or wedge isinserted. Additional fasteners are then inserted through the connectingmember 4358 and connector housing 4356, and fastened to the foundation18, as shown in FIG. 43C. One advantage of the embodiment shown in FIGS.43A-C is that the overall profile can be thinner because of the largeramount of surface contact created by the convoluted faces.

In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 44 the first connector housing isan elongated rectangular bar configured and dimensioned to be usable asa top plate and the second connector housing is an elongated rectangularbar configured and dimensioned to be usable as a sole plate. The firstconnector housing 4482 has a slot 4494 formed along in the top face ofthe bar and angled downward towards the front face with an upward bendat the base of the slot. The slot 4494 is configured and dimensioned toreceive an angled connecting member 4484, wherein the angled connectingmember 4484 is retained within and operatively associated with theconnector housing slot 4494 by the associated shapes and angles, andwith the force applied by tension on the connecting member 4484 when theflexible material 40 is tensioned. The second connector housing 4456 hasa slot 4460 formed along the front face of the bar and angled upwardstowards the top face of the bar. The slot 4460 is configured anddimensioned to receive a spline 4458 that may have barbs or othersurface features that allow it to grab the inside face of the slot 4460.The spline 4458 is used to force the flexible reinforcement material 40into the slot 4460 in the second connector housing 4456. Inserting thespline 4458 applies a tension to the flexible material 40 and retainsthe flexible material in the slot. The first and second connectorhousings 4456, 4482 can also comprise openings through the bars suchthat they can be fastened to the lower top plate 46 or sill plate 36respectively. The elongated bars can be formed by extruding a polymermaterial having the required cross-section, as would be known to thoseskilled in the art of polymer processing and extrusion dies. In thisembodiment, the connector housings are integrated as structuralcomponents during construction of the frame structure, and installationof the connecting members and flexible fabric does not require theadditional steps of separately installing first and second connectorhousings to the wall and foundation.

FIG. 45 is a view of a top plate 4582 that has an upwardly angled slot4594 cut into it for attaching the flexible reinforcement material 40with a spline 4584.

The present invention also related to being made into a kit or kits byassembling and providing a pre-determined selection of the reinforcementapparatus components described above to improve the speed and accuracyof installation on a building structure. The separate components of thekit can be selected based on building codes, design requirements orinstallation preferences for the particular building.

Particularly in the case of a pre-fabricated building in which theactual wall and roof dimensions are also predetermined, the flexibleelongated reinforcement material and upper and lower rails can all becut or formed to the same predetermined lengths of the differentbuilding members and assembled into kits that are packaged and labeledto be easily identified with the corresponding pre-fabricated buildingsections. The assembled reinforcement apparatus kits can then beunpackaged and installed along with the prefabricated buildingcomponents.

It is to be understood that some or all of the above described features,components and method steps can be combined in different ways, and othervariations and modifications other than those illustrated will beapparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art. In particular, theinvention may be implemented with other choices of materials, accordingto the criteria stated above. Each and every of said permutations andcombinations is separately deemed to be an embodiment herein in its ownright, and engineering requirements appropriate to the structure, thegoverning code, the local building community, and the potential highwind or seismic conditions will govern the use and deployment of thesaid embodiments and establish separate embodiments herein such thateach and everyone is its own embodiment. It is therefore intended thatall of these embodiments, examples, variations and modifications thereonare meant to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the presentinvention as set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A structural reinforcement apparatus comprising:flexible elongated reinforcement material having first and second ends;a first connecting member associated with the first end of the flexiblereinforcement material; a second connecting member associated with thesecond end of the flexible reinforcement material; first means forengaging the first connecting member; and second means for engaging thesecond connecting member, wherein the connecting members and engagingmeans are configured, dimensioned and operatively associated to providetension to flexible elongated reinforcing material.
 2. The structuralreinforcement apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and secondconnecting members are associated with edge portions of the flexibleelongated reinforcement material, and the first and second engagingmeans each comprises a connector housing that includes a slot forreceiving the respective connecting member.
 3. The structuralreinforcement apparatus of claim 2, wherein either the first or secondconnector housing further comprises a means for securing one or moreroofing members to the first or second connector housing, and whereineither the first or second connector housing comprises an attachmentplate for securing the engaging means to a frame structure.
 4. Thestructural reinforcement apparatus of claim 3, wherein the means forsecuring one or more roofing members to the first or second connectorhousing comprises: a horizontal flange extending approximatelyperpendicularly from the connector housing attachment plate and hasaccess holes along the length of the flange; and a roof member tie-down.5. The structural reinforcement apparatus of claim 4, wherein thehorizontal flange is a hollow boss with the hollow opening configuredand dimensioned to receive an elongated clip having access holes withthe same spacing as the horizontal flange access holes and a slotconfigured and dimensioned to grip a tension rod and thereby secure roofmembers to the connector housing.
 6. The structural reinforcementapparatus of claim 3, wherein the means for securing one or more roofingmembers to the first or second connector housing comprises an uppervertical flange extending approximately parallel from the upper portionof the connector housing attachment plate having one or more openingsconfigured and dimensioned to accept a roof member tie-down.
 7. Thestructural reinforcement apparatus of claim 5, wherein a tension rod isinserted through an opening in a strap portion on either side of thesaddle connector and locked in an access hole in the connector housingflange.
 8. The structural reinforcement apparatus of claim 3, whereinthe means for securing one or more roofing members to the first orsecond connector housing comprises a T-slot extending along the lengthof the upper portion of either connector housing; and a roof membertie-down, which comprises: a securing block; a T-slot coupling, which isconfigured and dimensioned to fit within the connector housing T-slot,extending from the back face of the securing block; a gear rack strapextending from an edge of the securing block; and a ratchet casepositioned along an edge of the securing block opposite the gear rackstrap, wherein the roof member tie-down is coupled to the connectorhousing by the T-slot coupling and the gear rack strap can be loopedover a roof member and secured in the receiving case.
 9. The structuralreinforcement apparatus of claim 3, which further comprises a battenhousing configured and dimensioned to hold a wrapped batten; and whereineither the first or second connector housing further comprises adownwardly oriented slot formed by the attachment plate portion and afront face, and configured and dimensioned to receive the battenhousing, and a retainer clip extending partially into the downwardlyoriented slot opening from the front face opposite the attachment plateportion that prevents the batten housing from being withdrawn from theslot once it has been inserted.
 10. The structural reinforcementapparatus of claim 1, wherein the first connector housing is arectangular bar configured and dimensioned to be usable as a top plateand the second connector housing is a rectangular bar configured anddimensioned to be usable as a sill plate.
 11. A frame structure havingat least a roofing member and one or more wall members erected upon afoundation, the structure comprising: a structural reinforcementapparatus according to claim 3, for providing a continuous tensile loadpath between the roofing member and the structure's foundation, wherein:the flexible reinforcement material is attached to the first and secondconnecting members along a first and second edge respectively; the firstmeans for engaging the first connecting member is affixed to thefoundation of the frame structure; the first connecting member isoperatively associated with first engaging means; the second means forengaging the second connecting member is affixed to an upper portion ofa wall member; the second connecting member is operatively associatedwith the second engaging means; the roofing member is secured to thesecond engaging means with a roof member tie-down; and the secondengaging means is operatively associated with the first engaging meansby the flexible reinforcement material attached to the first and secondconnecting members to form a continuous tensile load path from the roofmember to the structure's foundation.
 12. The frame structure of claim11, wherein the flexible reinforcement material is a high strengthmaterial that also imparts resistance to seismic events, explosiveblasts, and projectiles fired from small arms weapons.
 13. A framestructure having at least a roofing member and one or more wall memberserected upon a foundation, the structure comprising: a structuralreinforcement apparatus according to claim 3, for providing a continuoustensile load path between the roofing member and the structure'sfoundation, wherein: the first means for engaging the first connectingmember is affixed to the upper portion of a wall member; the secondmeans for engaging the second connecting member is affixed to thefoundation of the frame structure; the flexible reinforcement materialis attached to the first and second connecting members along a first andsecond edge respectively; the first connecting member is connectivelyassociated with first engaging means; the second connecting member isoperatively associated with the second engaging means; the roofingmember is secured to the second engaging means with a roof membertie-down to form a continuous tensile load path from the roof member tothe structure's foundation; and the first engaging means is operativelyassociated with the second engaging means by the flexible reinforcementmaterial attached to the first and second connecting members to form acontinuous tensile load path from upper portion of the wall member tothe structure's foundation.
 14. The frame structure of claim 13, whereinthe roof member tie-down includes tension rods, which are inserted intothe access holes in the second engaging means.
 15. The buildingstructure of claim 14, wherein the saddle connector comprises two webs,with each tapering to a tension rod.
 16. A frame structure having atleast a roofing member and one or more wall members erected upon afoundation, the structure comprising: a structural reinforcementapparatus according to claim 10, for providing a continuous tensile loadpath between the roofing member and the structure's foundation, wherein:the first connector housing is used as a top plate forming a wallmember; the second connector housing is used as a sole plate forming thesame wall member as the first connector housing; the first connectingmember is received by the first connector housing; the second connectingmember is received by the second connector housing; and the secondconnector housing is thereby operatively associated with the firstconnector housing by the flexible reinforcement material attached to thefirst and second connecting members to form a continuous tensile loadpath from the roof member to the structure's foundation.
 17. A Method ofsecuring the frame structure of claim 11 to the foundation whichsupports it, which comprises: affixing the first connector housing tothe foundation of the frame structure; affixing the second connectorhousing to the upper portion of a wall member above the first connectorhousing; wrapping the first edge portion of the flexible reinforcementmaterial around the second connecting member; connectively associatingthe second connecting member with the second connector housing; drapingthe flexible reinforcement material over the wall member down to thefirst connector housing; connectively associating the first connectingmember with the second edge of the flexible reinforcement material andwith the first connector housing, wherein at least a portion of thesecond edge of the flexible reinforcement material is constrainedbetween the first connecting member and first connector housing suchthat connectively associating the first connecting member and firstconnector housing applies a tension to the flexible reinforcementmaterial; connectively associating a roofing member tie-down with thesecond connector housing; and securing the roof member to the secondconnector housing with the roofing member tie-down, such that the firstconnector housing is operatively associated with the second connectorhousing by the flexible reinforcement material attached to the first andsecond connecting members, and the second connector housing isoperatively associated with the roof member to form a single continuoustensile load path from the roof member to the structure's foundation.18. The method of securing the frame structure of claim 13, wherein; thefirst connector housing is affixed to the foundation of the framestructure with anchor bolts; the flexible reinforcement material iswrapped around the second connecting member; the second connectingmember is connectively associated with the second connector housing byinserting the wrapped second connecting member into a slot in theconnector housing; and the roofing member tie-down is one or more roofstrap(s) connectively associated with the second connector housing andsecuring each of one or more roof member(s) to the second connectorhousing by looping the strap over the roof member and securing both endsto the second connector housing.
 19. A method of securing the framestructure of claim 11 to the foundation which supports it, whichcomprises: affixing the first connector housing to the upper portion ofa wall member of the frame structure; affixing the second connectorhousing to the foundation below the first connector housing; wrappingthe first edge portion of the flexible reinforcement material around thefirst connecting member; connectively associating the first connectingmember with the first connector housing; draping the flexiblereinforcement material over the wall member down to the second connectorhousing; connectively associating the second connecting member with thesecond edge of the flexible reinforcement material and with the firstconnector housing, wherein at least a portion of the second edge of theflexible reinforcement material is constrained between the secondconnecting member and second connector housing such that connectivelyassociating the second connecting member and second connector housingapplies a tension to the flexible reinforcement material; connectivelyassociating a roofing member tie-down with the second connector housingto thereby secure the roof member to the second connector housing withthe roofing member tie-down, such that the first connector housing isoperatively associated with the second connector housing by the flexiblereinforcement material attached to the first and second connectingmembers to form a first continuous tensile load path, and the secondconnector housing is operatively associated with the roof member to forma second separate continuous tensile load path from the roof member tothe structure's foundation.
 20. A method of making a structuralreinforcement apparatus kit of claim 4, which comprises: providing afirst and a second connector housing, wherein the first and secondconnector housings are different; providing a first and a secondconnecting member, wherein the first and second connecting members aredifferent; providing a flexible reinforcement material sheet having atop and a bottom edge that is pre-cut to a predetermined length, andattaching at least a first edge of the flexible sheeting to either thefirst or second connecting member; and providing one or more roof membertie-down(s) that can be connectively associated with either the first orsecond connector housing.